(Photo credit: hepingting/Flickr)
Mental health illnesses and addictions affect everyone and we may not realize it, but it also threatens the lives of many Canadian youth.
In Canada, suicide is the leading cause of death for Canadians between the age of 15 to 24 year olds and our nation’s youth suicide rate is the third highest among developed nations, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
It’s estimated that ten to 20 per cent of youth suffer from a mental illness or disorder and 3.2 million youth between the ages of 12 to 19 run the risk of depression.
A little help can go a long way for someone with depression and 80 per cent of people with the illness who received assistance were able to return to their normal activities. Unfortunately, only one out of five children in need of mental health services obtains it.
In an effort to combat the problem, Sunnybrook launched the Family Navigation Project to help families and youth facing addiction and mental health issues.
The program allows families to connect to the program through phone or email, where a navigator assists the family through the process of getting help for those in need. It’s suitable for families who don’t know who to turn to and for families who face long waits for the right service.
The program was started by Sunnybrook’s Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Dr. Anthony Levitt, after hearing many tales about families who needed help, but weren’t able to get it. The Program has been operating for about a year and since then they’ve helped 350 families, according to Hospital News.
”Families with a youth in a mental health or addiction issue are often in turmoil. Our team helps turn down the emotional temperature in the home,” says Dr. Levitt told Hospital News.
“In one case, it took twelve different facilities and people to talk to before finding the right way. We try to let families know that we believe there is an answer in the system somewhere. We call it `compassionate persistence’.”
Mental health organizations are working towards informing the public and bringing awareness to these issues. One of our lawyers, Harv Lewin, founded the Put Up Your Dukes event, which raises awareness about this topic and funds for the CAMH’s Lewin Family Living Learning Room.
Hospitals are also looking towards providing more mental healthcare options. A new Mental Health Care London facility is in the works, which will provide care for 168 patients with mental illnesses including adolescent psychiatry, mood and anxiety disorders, geriatric psychiatry and concurrent disorders.
The new Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care recently opened its doors in St. Thomas, Ont., which will provide care for 89 patients. The facility is meant to help those who’ve encountered the justice system and need help to recover from a mental illness.
There’s a link between serious personal injuries and depression and mental illness accounts for 30 per cent of short- and long-term disability claims, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have handled accident injuries for clients throughout Ontario for over 40 years. We understand the effect injuries can have on your life and we’re experienced in assisting you through your claim, but also your recovery. Call us at 416-920-4242. Set up a free consultation and come talk with us.
Greg Neinstein
Latest posts by Greg Neinstein (see all)
- Do I have a personal injury case? - April 23, 2019
- Are your insurance premiums high? Check your postal code - April 17, 2019
- This was an unusually harsh winter for slip-and-falls - April 11, 2019